Chapter 60 The Crown Princess's throne is about to go down the drain.
This Master Xuanming was highly sought after by the powerful and influential people of Tianning City. Even Consort Tan would occasionally mention him, so Emperor Muzong naturally heard of him.
In addition, Xuanming was the junior brother of the Imperial Preceptor, who was deeply favored by the Emperor. Naturally, those nobles who wanted to keep in sync with the Emperor were eager to befriend him.
“Xuanming did indeed deduce from the celestial phenomena that there is a ‘blessed woman of destiny’ in the dynasty, but no one dares to make a definitive conclusion about who this woman is.” As the Grand Preceptor spoke, he instructed the young Taoist to summon Xuanming.
"When the time is right, she may appear in the world."
The Imperial Preceptor played a crucial role in Emperor Muzong's smooth ascension to the throne, and he deeply agreed with his words, saying, "That makes sense."
Back when he was still the King of Wei, his brothers were all outstanding individuals, each a dragon among men, and none of them were better than him in terms of literary and military prowess.
Everyone doubted his abilities, yet he proved himself the most promising and became the ruler of the world. Isn't this a sign of destiny?
Dou Mingyan, the "blessed woman" they had been talking about, had disappeared somewhere. Dou Wenyi chased after her all the way to the bamboo grove, but she couldn't find her anywhere.
Dou Wenyi stopped and lowered her voice, "Cuizhi, go and tell the pilgrims that there are unusual phenomena at Denghetai, and find a way to encourage them to go and see them."
Cuizhi nodded heavily and ran off.
No matter what tricks Dou Mingyan played, she would eventually go to Denghetai. Dou Wenyi calmed herself down and quickened her pace. Sure enough, after walking for a while, she saw Dou Mingyan's familiar figure in the distance.
Dou Wenyi ran over in a few steps, took her arm, and said with a smile, "Third sister, I've been looking for you for so long! Why are you here all alone?"
Dou Mingyan's brows furrowed with impatience; she wanted to pull her hand away, but Dou Wenyi's grip was too strong. She had important business to attend to and didn't have time to waste with her.
"Fourth sister, Mother is in the back room. She was just asking you to go and light the lamp. Aren't you going?"
Dou Wenyi sniffed carefully, and sure enough, a faint, strange fragrance wafted into her nose. The fragrance undoubtedly came from Dou Mingyan. They believed they could create 'natural phenomena' using this clumsy method.
In her previous life, while collecting poisons and antidotes, she learned of a poison called 'Crane Fragrance Powder'. If a crane accidentally ingested this poison, its survival instinct would drive it to find an antidote, and Dou Mingyan possessed a unique fragrance—the very antidote to 'Crane Fragrance Powder' that cranes sought to save their lives!
Dou Wenyi's lips curled into a mocking smile as she cut to the chase, "Third sister, isn't it enough that you're born with a noble destiny? Do you need the blessing of a 'blessed woman'?"
Dou Mingyan's pupils suddenly contracted. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Her features are delicate and beautiful, and when she smiles, she appears somewhat gentle and graceful. However, her forehead is too narrow, and when paired with her willow-leaf eyebrows, she appears cold and mean when she has a serious expression.
"Third sister, can you handle such a precious destiny as 'a blessed woman of heaven'? Greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Have you discussed this with His Highness the Crown Prince?" Dou Wenyi gripped her arm tightly and said slowly.
"Crane Fragrance Powder, right?"
A look of disbelief and horror flashed in Dou Mingyan's eyes, as if she had seen a ghost.
In the past, she had never taken Dou Wenyi seriously, but these days, her plans have been repeatedly thwarted, and even Madam Gu and Dou Bochang, who had always disliked her, have begun to waver and gradually lean towards Dou Wenyi.
She felt that her position was in grave danger, and now she dared not provoke Pei Siyan any further.
She was the only woman blessed by heaven, and Pei Siyan was the legitimate heir. The two of them were evenly matched, a match made in heaven.
But how did Dou Wenyi know about her plan? Where did the news leak out? Did Amber, or someone else, betray her?
Dou Wenyi raised her hand. "Do you want me to hand it over yourself, or do you want me to take it from you?"
Perhaps she was just being mysterious, trying to trick me?
Dou Mingyan bit her lip tightly, "Fourth sister, I don't understand what you're saying."
Seeing that she was still pretending to be stupid even at this point, Dou Wenyi felt disgusted.
Dou Wenyi smiled brightly, pointed to the pool behind her, and said softly, "Third sister, what do you think Father and Mother's reaction will be if I jump in from here?"
Having learned from the previous lesson, both Dou Bochang and Madam Gu would likely suspect Dou Mingyan. Even if they were determined to side with her, they might still be afraid that she would find another witness to catch them off guard!
Dou Mingyan was stunned.
Dou Wenyi shrugged and smiled innocently. "There's no one here now. I'll just say that you held a grudge because your affair with Xie Guidu was exposed, and that's why you pushed me down. What do you think will happen then?"
"Today, there are many high-ranking officials and nobles, and even the Emperor is still in the temple. When they find out that the 'blessed woman of destiny' is actually wicked and even intends to murder her own sister, guess how many people will want to remove you from the position of Crown Princess?"
"Even without witnesses, a bunch of witnesses will probably just pop up out of nowhere!"
Dou Mingyan's expression changed drastically, and she was so angry that she was almost incoherent, "Dou Wenyi... despicable, shameless! How dare you threaten me?"
Dou Wenyi stared at her intently, raising her chin. "Disgusted? Didn't you teach me all these low-down tricks?"
Dou Mingyan subconsciously looked around and found no one. This meant that even if Dou Wenyi also had no witnesses, she could still make false accusations.
Today she is about to become a 'blessed woman', and she cannot afford to make the slightest mistake.
If Dou Wenyi insists on opposing her, her status as a blessed woman will inevitably become ridiculous and questioned by everyone because of this false accusation.
Those noble ladies who covet Pei Siyan will surely kick her while she's down, and stand up to accuse her with their own words.
At that time, she will be completely unable to defend herself!
Dou Mingyan felt a chill run down her spine. Her long fingernails dug into her palms. She had meticulously planned for so long, and her reputation was about to rise to the next level. But all her efforts were in vain at the last step.
"Do you really have to do this?" she asked, her eyes cold and resentful.
Dou Wenyi's eyes sparkled. "Third sister, what is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not, you cannot force. It's not that I'm against you, it's just that you're too greedy. Third sister and Master Xuanming are quite familiar with each other, aren't they?"
Dou Mingyan's heart pounded, but her face remained calm. "Not familiar."
Dou Wenyi sneered, saying each word clearly, "Not familiar? He would go to great lengths to help you? Whether it's your innate good fortune or the Dou family's evil deeds, Master Xuanming treats you like royalty, coming whenever someone calls. It's not easy for other powerful figures to ask him for help."
"You've used those underhanded tricks all you usually do, but Third Sister, do you know that fabricating 'auspicious omens' and manipulating public opinion is a serious crime? Once you suffer the backlash, even Pei Siyan won't be able to protect you and will have to sever ties with you. At that time, your position as Crown Princess will be lost."
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